Here is a list of a few presents I’ve had (or others in my family have had) that on the surface seem naff, but I’m going to give you my thoughts as to why I think they’re actually awesome.

So next time you get one of these, hopefully your smile will be genuine!

1. Vouchers

I have spoken to so many people who think that vouchers are a rubbish, unthoughtful gift. Are you kidding me? Getting a voucher means you can buy whatever you want! If you tell people which shops you love, then you’ll never be disappointed. But what if Auntie Mabel got you a voucher for a shop you don’t use? Why not use Zeek and sell it on to someone who wants it? if you use my linkyou’ll earn £3 too. You can even use TopCashBack on this site (as well as on many other sites, so 2018 should be the year you start using TopCashBack!!).

2. Note books and other stationary

Maybe I’ve a massive nerd, but I always love getting stationary. I’ve been given a lovely Swarovski pen as well as a book made up of sticky notes, a notepad and reminder tabs. I always need paper to write down my thoughts or notes when I’m on the phone or studying. I don’t know about you, but I always lose pens at work. Doctors are notorious for stealing each other’s pens (purely accidentally), so buy me a packet of cheapies and I’m happy. I think stationary makes great stocking fillers, and have you seen the amazing adult colouring books in the shops now? If you or someone you know loves colouring in for stress purposes you’ll LOVE these books. It’s a great thing to buy someone in hospital as art can help recovery. Take a look at this post by Dr Nikki Martinez.

3. Household goods

One year my boyfriend got a huge box of tea bags made by Barry’s Tea. We didn’t need any tea bags for months which was one less thing to buy on our shopping list! This year we got a gas heater for our garden and a rotary line. We had mentioned that we wanted both of these, and now we do without having to spend any money! What about if you don’t like what has been purchased? Well hopefully the person has been kind and given you the gift receipt, but if they haven’t, then you could re-gift or if it is truly terrible (men take note here), fess up and take it back. Swap it for something you really want (like a Pandora bracelet or something).

4. Toiletries

It might seem like a boring gift, but think about the money you’ll save! Shower gel is always a useful gift and is surprisingly expensive to buy regularly. Failing that, why not save the items for future gifts (just remember who gave it to you) or give them away to charity. Your local foodbank will love whatever you give them.

5. Clothes

I think clothes are really hard to get right as a gift. Unless of course the gifter knows you so well that they couldn’t get it wrong, or they picked you out something you already pointed out. Socks instantly springs to mind when I think of clothes being gifted. It seems to be a universal dad present all around the world!!

Now if you get some generic black socks or something you can wear every day, that’s great, but if its something covered in Christmas print, then it might not be so useful. I would store them in the Christmas decorations box to wear next Christmas, or just accept that you’ll only ever wear them around the house. Failing that, give them away to charity, or let your kids use them for hand puppets. There really is endless possibilities with this!

Again, re-gifting would probably work well here, or swapping for something you want if the gift receipt has been included. Failing that, use an app like Shpock and get rid of it to earn some cash! Just pretend it shrunk in the wash or something…

So there you have it. My take on naff presents that are actually pretty cool. Why not use January to declutter and sell all your unwanted presents to go towards things you do want, or to build up an emergency fund?

Tell me in the comments the weirdest thing you’ve even been bought!

Happy 2018!

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I'm Dr Nikki Ramskill - The Female Money Doctor. I'm based in the UK and want to talk about all things money with you! Become a "Money-Medic" and I'll send you a weekly money-prescription of more tips and advice....

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I'm Dr Nikki Ramskill - The Female Money Doctor. I'm based in the UK and want to talk about all things money with you! Become a "Money-Medic" and I'll send you a weekly money-prescription of more tips and advice....

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